Colombia seek second World Cup win as DR Congo eye another upset

June 21 (Reuters) – Colombia will look to build on a winning start to their World Cup campaign when they face DR Congo on Tuesday, with Nestor Lorenzo’s side wary of an opponent who frustrated ​Portugal in their opener.

The South Americans began Group K with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan, ‌though the scoreline masked a difficult second half in which their opponents exposed vulnerabilities that they will be keen to address.

A win would secure Colombia a place in the Round of 32 and could be enough to seal top spot ​in the group if Portugal fail to beat Uzbekistan.

The pressure will again fall on Bayern ​Munich forward Luis Diaz, who delivered a goal and an assist against Uzbekistan and was ⁠named player of the match after spearheading Colombia’s attack.

Lorenzo will also hope for a greater influence ​from captain James Rodriguez, who played a quieter role in the opening victory as Colombia often relied on ​Diaz’s pace and direct running to break down their opponents.

DR Congo arrive with confidence after earning a surprise 1-1 draw against Portugal in their first World Cup match for more than half a century, having last appeared at the tournament ​as Zaire in 1974.

Yoane Wissa scored the country’s first World Cup goal, while coach Sebastien Desabre’s side ​impressed with their defensive discipline and ability to launch quick counter-attacks against one of the tournament favourites.

The ⁠Congolese will likely adopt a similarly compact approach against Colombia, whose attacking quality presents a different challenge but whose defensive lapses against Uzbekistan may offer encouragement. Lorenzo cautioned after the opening win that DR Congo’s direct style would pose a distinct test.

“Congo play more in transition, with long balls and quick breaks. ​It’s going to be a ​very difficult match for ⁠us,” he said.

The Argentine coach also said Colombia’s possession dominance against the Asians occasionally worked against them, with his side still needing to be more clinical ​in the final third.

“At times our excess possession made us go backwards ​and nobody finished ⁠the move. We lacked a bit of that,” Lorenzo said.

Colombia are also expected to draw on strong support in the stands after thousands of fans in yellow transformed Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca into a home away ⁠from ​home during their opener.

With their tournament base in Guadalajara, Lorenzo’s side ​are likely to be backed by another large Colombian contingent as they seek a more complete performance against opponents who have ​already shown they are capable of upsetting expectations.